Play empowering women staged at DLSU

“Dapat huwag nating papabayaang mayroong humadlang sa mga pangarap nating lahat bilang babae.”

These were the lines spoken by one of the characters in the play “Tatlong Yugto, Tatlong Babae” held last June 5 at the Teresa Yuchengco Auditorium. The event, organized by De La Salle University (DLSU)’s Ley La Salle in partnership with Junior Chamber International (JCI) and naFlora, showcased monologues from three different female characters in varying stages of their lives.

The stories of the three women portrayed how they had to forgo their dreams for one reason or another. The play was written by Gawad Palanca and Gawad Tanglaw awardee Liza Magtoto and directed by acclaimed director Roobak Valle.

JCI Philippines’ Atty. André de Jesus, also a faculty member from DLSU’s College of Business and faculty adviser of Ley La Salle, introduced the play and emphasized its aim to empower women and eradicate the image of women being weak and vulnerable in society. “The [play] is not just for women. It is for all of us who know the true heart, spirit, and power [of women],” described de Jesus.

Although originally the event was intended to be for a female audience only, the organizers announced a few days before the actual screening that admission was free for DLSU students.

After the play, a short event followed, hosted by Shiela Cris. Games in line with the play’s theme of championing women in society were also held to maximize audience participation.

A “private conversations” session was organized, where obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Ma. Lourdes Escobar was invited to speak about the importance of proper knowledge on reproductive health, particularly for women. Afterwards, the audience was encouraged to ask questions relevant to the topic in an open forum.

Ley La Salle Executive Vice President Karl Yuan, one of the event’s project heads, shared that the event was organized by DLSU’s premier organization for legal management students because it is in line with their advocacy of holding events that bring light to social issues relevant to society.